Christmas Day with Family

      The roads have been cleared so the family was able to get here for our annual Christmas feast. And what a feast it was - as usual I cooked way too much food so I will be eating leftovers for the rest of the week. Judy took home some of the bird, half the plum pudding and custard and the mincemeat pies I had made - they just did not have room for them, even oldest grandson who has a hollow leg!

   So now I am sprawled on the couch, covered with my new thermal throw (a gift from the grands) but I won't be eating anything more until tomorrow. Well, maybe a small chicken and cranberry sandwich before bed!

   Youngest grandson wore his Blue Jays hat through the whole meal (usually no hats allowed but it was his favourite Christmas gift so he got a special dispensation) and can you tell what granddaughter's favourite gift was? (hint: it's also on her head).

   We played some games before they left for home but we were all a bit sleepy by then so that didn't last long. Finally we Face Timed with the family in Victoria for a bit before they went to have their feast. They are four hours behind us. Now to tackle the clean up. Thank goodness for a dishwasher!

   Hope all my readers had a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year!

Wild Weather

 It's blowing a hooley out there - minus 13C and winds of 40 kph - so I am huddled indoors and plan to stay here until at least tomorrow afternoon. I did go out and shovel snow for a while this afternoon (it was at least 10cm. deep at that point) but by the time I stopped tha path I had dug was already filling in again. My weather app says it feels like minus 24C so I am definitely in for the night!

High Excitement!

     Tuesday afternoon is my Bridge game. Around 12:45 we had just played one hand when the fire siren in the building went off. There were about 24 of us in the room (less than our usual 40) and we all studiously ignored it until the building manager arrived to tell us to vacate the building. No one rushed to grab their coats but gradually we did realize that there was a distinctly smoky odour in the air. Yes, the building was on fire!

    We gathered outside and a few minutes later a fire truck could be heard in the distance. Still no flames or obvious smoke which is lucky as the fire truck went to the adjacent building! Eventually it rolled up and the firefighters donned their gear and set off to investigate. Then another fire truck arrived, then another and another - all told 8 trucks arrived, plus their supervisor and a police car. A little bit of overkill in my opinion.

   Eventually it transpired that some guys working on the roof had been using a blow torch for some reason and had ignited something. However, we weren't allowed back in the building except to gather our possessions so that was the end of Bridge for this week. We will be back on January 2 providing there is no lasting damage and we will have lots of tales to tell those who weren't there today!

Digging Out

    We only got about 5 cms. of snow but this was followed by rain so it was very soggy and weighed a ton. Most of my neighbours were out shoveling before the rain started but I left it until today. Ooh, my aching back!

  This was my morning's work. I got it done later in the afternoon. You can just see my neighbour (she's 88) tidying up her driveway. She has a guy with a plough clear her driveway but it still needs a finishing touch. Most of my other neighbours used snow blowers but my little one wasn't up to the job with the snow being so wet.

Well Stocked Up

     The weather outside is frightful so, before the storm arrived, I made a quick dash up to the library to stock up on books in case we were snowed in. As I came home the freezing rain started. Then it rained for a while but has been snowing since early afternoon. A nasty mix!

This should keep me going for a while. I also hit the pharmacy post office and got the last of my Christmas cards in the mail.

   I also picked up a couple of DVDs in case the TV is rubbish. Now I have the fire on and a blanket over my knees so it's cozy inside. Photos of the results of the storm tomorrow once it has all blown over. The wind was wild today!

The Mandarin

     Forgot to put the memory card back in my camera so no photos that I am able to transfer but I did have an enjoyable outing last week, the first of many over the Christmas season.

   The seniors at the community centre where I attend fitness classes and volunteer in the kitchen had a special event planned for them last week, a lunch with entertainment at our local Chinese buffet restaurant. It was subsidized by the Executive so we had an all-you-can eat meal for just $15!

   I have learned over the years to be very careful at this type of eatery as my eyes are inevitably bigger than my stomach! So, I started carefully with a plate of sushi (very tasty and probably worth almost the whole $15) followed, after quite a lengthy pause with some typical Chinese dishes (no rice or anything else too filling) and a small salad plate. I almost blew it with the dessert as the choices were so yummy, but managed to limit my selections to cheesecake, creme caramel, fruit and just one piece of Nanaimo bar. There was unlimited green tea to wash it all down and I didn't feel too inordinately stuffed.

   The music teacher from the centre provided the entertainment on his guitar and we lustily joined in as he played Christmas songs. Finally there were lucky draws but our table was the only one not to have any of our numbers drawn (we suspect the fix was in). However, that didn't affect our enjoyment of the treat and we all went home happy.

   Needless to say, I needed a nap when I got home and, much later just a very light dinner. There are still three more eating events before the big one on Christmas Day but I will continue to consume lightly until then. And that's not even counting today when the ladies in the Art class at the centre invited me to share in the treats (more sushi!) they had brought to celebrate their last day of classes. Dare I weigh myself tomorrow?

Time for a Catch Up

     Sorry, haven't felt like blogging but have been keeping up with others' blogs, lots of Christmassy stuff which I haven't got into yet.

    Monday was Knitters and Crafters and we had some extra Christmas treats with our coffee. I didn't go out for lunch after as I was a bit queezy, too much chocolate probably. I felt better by the evening and managed a small dinner before heading out to dancing. The church where we dance has finally opened the kitchen for us to use so we had tea and muffins at the break.

   Today I slept in and have been behind the eight ball ever since. Had a small breakfast when I got up then worked out for nearly an hour. Had the rest of my breakfast, washed up the dishes from the night before (!) and then had to rush to get to Bridge on time. I had dreadful cards (and played badly) but the fates were with me as I not only got my $1 back for having the lowest score but also won the Lucky Draw! So, came home $6 to the good. Can't remember ever having that much good luck! Maybe I'd better buy a lottery ticket (NOT).

More Christmas Baking

     I am really ahead of the game this year as I made some Mincemeat tarts to have at the Christmas dinner today. Just a quick batch of pastry and leftover mincemeat from last year. It looked a bit dehydrated so I added the last of the molasses from the plum pudding. They turned out well, just one for each of us. That will be enough as we will have plum pudding first!

   They will go in the freezer until the big day.

Keeping Busy in the Kitchen

    Used up the last of a big carton of milk, just before its expiry date, by starting a batch of yogurt in my Instapot. It will work its magic overnight and will be ready in the morning to go in the fridge to drain for a few hours. Decanting it into a container is the only tricky part of the whole procedure but I am getting better at it!

     I also made a Holiday Fruit Bread to use up the leftover candied peel and glace cherries from the plum pudding. It sank a bit in the middle even though I gave it an extra ten minutes but it tastes fine.

   I like it for breakfast with my morning coffee, slathered with butter. It doesn't have much butter in the recipe and just one egg, so fairly healthy.

A Short Update

 I had a busy weekend, supervising the grandkids while their parents were away for a quick jaunt down to the Bahamas. I arrived on Friday afternoon and went back home on Monday morning once they had all left for school. The kids were quite able to entertain themselves and my biggest chore was driving James to hockey practices. All the meals were laid on so I didn't even need to do any cooking!

   However, I seem to have picked up a bug (headache and nausea) and have spent today taking it easy. I usually go out on Tuesday evenings but will spend tonight in front of the fire with the TV on.

Snow

    Haven't shared photos - too depressing! Just an inch or so but enough that I had to shovel the sidewalk and path to my front door.

  We often go well into December before we get the first snow - not this year! The wind is bitterly cold so I just had a short walk (well bundled up) today. It will stay cold right through the weekend so no chance of it melting any time soon!

Frustration!

 I have lost my cell phone. Arghhh! I know it's in the house somewhere and I have tried calling it from my land line with no success. It must be turned to silent.

   I used it this morning to check the weather which is set to be dismal for the whole week. I saw some snowflakes this afternoon and it is very chilly. I did manage a short walk but was well wrapped up in my full winter outfit, except for the boots. Hope I don't need them any time soon. It's too early to be trudging through snow and slush! 

Keeping Up With Everyone

    Computer problems today so I am late getting on and caught up with all the news, games and favourite sites. I had to restart three times! But it seems to be working now.

    I do two Wordles (managed both today) and after I have checked my mail and some other games I settle into the world of Blogging. I try not to fall behind with what everyone is up to. I have been having a problem commenting for some time now but I am still reading all my favourites. Now to see what the rest of you are doing in your corner of the world!

Stir-it-up Sunday

    We have had some lovely days since the beginning of November and the nets are still up at the tennis courts. Bonus!!

   Today was the day to make the Christmas Plum Pudding so the grandkids came over to make not one but two puddings, one to leave here to mature for the Christmas lunch and the other to take home for their pre-Christmas dinner.

   Four people in the kitchen was three too many so I stepped back and let them get on with it, merely supplying the odd tip or suggestion. It certainly looked good when it went into the mold to be steamed so I am sure it will turn out perfectly. 

Bringing the Outdoors Inside

    The garden is bare but there are still some flowers (now indoors) to brighten up a frosty Fall morning.

Thirteen Thousand Steps!

    We were locked out at tennis today - damaged padlock replaced overnight but we didn't get the notification in time and didn't know who to contact so we walked instead. Later (after coffee and a snack) I had another long walk and have kept the step counter in my pocket ever since. I was quite surprised and pleased by the total. My daily average is around 4,500 so that is a big jump! Seemingly 13,182 steps translates into 6.8 kms. I was sore by the time I got home and needed a nap after lunch.

   I was invited for a meal at a Chef's house last weekend. The meal was fabulous, several small plates - just wish I had taken photos as each one looked so inviting. He used to own a restaurant but now just cooks for small groups in his home in a very professional looking kitchen.    

    The meal started with potato and coconut milk soup. Next came a seafood sampler featuring scallop, shrimp and calamari, all seriously tasty. Then a spinach, fennel and mandarin salad. Finally, pork belly and greens. Each course was small but full of flavour. There was a caramelized apple in cream on a pastry crust for dessert but by that time I was so stuffed I just nibbled at it. There were lots of special touches such as basil oil and a roasted artichoke slice on the soup. I would highly recommend the whole meal!

   Frost is forecast for tonight so I mulched my tender plants this afternoon and picked the last of the parsley which was very abundant this year. Some of it will be a topping on my fish tonight and I will make pesto with the rest to save in the freezer.  Also brought in my rosemary plant to use over the winter. Time to batten down the hatches!

   

   

Feels Like Winter is Approaching

 So cold - not ready for this wintery weather yet! Tomorrow we had planned to play tennis (won't be long until it is over) but the morning temperature is forecast to be 2C! Stay tuned to see if we make it onto the courts. It should warm up a bit on the weekend so we may get a good game on Sunday.

   Yesterday was busy - I was out early to set up at our first monthly Retired Women Teachers lunch, but I didn't stay as I was also booked for a lunch and Travelogue (Myanmar which was formally Burma) at another location. It was very well done with a beautiful slide show and video presentation following a light lunch.

   Today was a bit quieter - my Fitness class at 10:15 a.m. at the Seniors Centre, then serving coffee and snacks in the kitchen. Luckily I took a book to read as I didn't have many customers. Since lockdown the management have had trouble staffing the kitchen and it's often closed so I think people have got out of the habit of eating there or even staying after class for a coffee and cookie. It's the best deal in town as the coffee and cookie is $1 and a hot pie (with ketchup if you want it) is $1.50! They occasionally have burgers and salad for $5 but I missed the last barbecue. They do treat their Seniors well!

   I had my tennis friends over for brunch last Sunday, counterclockwise from the right, Susan, Kathy, Cathy and Frank (Cathy's husband, AKA Francine when he plays with the ladies). I served way too much food so have been eating leftovers ever since!

Cathy brought the devilled eggs. We also had apple pie with ice cream and coconut tarts from Cathy and Susan for "afters".

Two New Dances

    Just to be clear, these are Scottish Country dances (similar to folk dances), quite different from the highly technical and competitive Scottish Highland dancing. They are danced in three orfour couple sets and, in fact some are quite well known such as Virginia Reel and Strip the Willow. Here are two we learned this week. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

    Better late than never - it was a busy weekend.  I spent Sunday with the family. Judy and Dave cooked the turkey and all the trimmings - they do it in the barbecue and it always comes out tender and juicy. Elliot made a pumpkin pie. The previous week they had attended Markham Fall Fair and all had things entered in various categories. Elliot got 1st place for a photo he submitted, Natalie got 1st for a poster (she said she thought she won because no one else entered) and Judy got several prizes as well as "Best in Show" for her marmalade. I must get her to share her recipe with me!

   Monday, which was the actual holiday, we had a social at the tennis club. It was a bit on the cool side but a few brave souls came out to play. I had on 4 layers but gradually stripped some off as I warmed up. More people turned up for lunch which was "Pot Luck" and reflected our wide variety of heritages. I was very conservative and brought ham sandwiches but there were Chinese dumplings, samosas, spinakopita curry stew and chili as well as salads. I went home stuffed and had to take home some dessert for later! That tennis club is now closed as it switches to a winter club with the courts covered with a "bubble". My other club is still going so, hopefully, there will be a few more nice days.

   This week has been advanced voting for the Municipal Elections. I went to the Senior's Centre even though the classes were cancelled as it is a polling station, but it was quite busy with people coming and going. In fact I probably sold more coffee and pies than usual!

Change of Colour

 The trees have begun to shed their leaves but first are putting on a magnificent display.

They had to go.....

 ....the nasturtiums, that is. We had almost frost last night and there's nothing worse than having to dispose of slimy frosted nasturtiums. Tonight's overnight temperature is set to be 3C, so pretty close to freezing.

   So, now they are in the composter. They did really well this year.

   Yesterday some of the family came over with Birthday cake, carrot cake and yummy cream cheese frosting. I still have more in the fridge.

Can't remember what was so funny!

Blowing out the candle. We could only find one!

The rest will go home to the boys who missed the ceremony. I kept a sizeable chunk.

A Busy Couple of Weeks

    I had to go back to my calendar to remind myself all that has happened recently.

  Last week I was out at meetings followed by lunch on Wednesday and Thursday. This week there was a bus trip on Tuesday to Niagara-on-the-Lake for some shopping therapy, a rather swanky lunch and a theatre show. It was "Damn Yankees" and was an excellent production. The choreography and performers were fantastic. Unfortunately I forgot my camera but took some photos with my phone so will try to upload them.  NOTL is a very scenic town and was thronged with tourists even at this time of the year, many from across the Niagara River in the U.S.

   On Wednesday I had to go for my driving test - it's a group written test (very simple) to make sure we are still fit to drive as we reach the grand old age of (gulp) 80! Today I had to stand in line for an hour to get my driving license validated and I got my vehicle registration renewed at the same time. So that's done for the next two years.

   So a pretty busy week or two as we are still playing tennis a couple of times a week, and Bridge club and my evening dance groups are getting going. Masks are still required for most activities but I have noticed people are a bit more relaxed about wearing them all the time.

   Things should be a little quieter in October although Thanksgiving and Hallowe'en are coming up. Nothing like having a busy schedule to make time fly!

Changes

    The weather has definitely turned autumnal. We've had rain, off and on, all day today and temperatures didn't get much above the mid 'teens. I brought in the last of my indoor plants that have been summering on my front porch. They have done well and look great for their holiday outdoors!

   I've also pulled up all but one of my tomato plants. They didn't do too well with the extreme heat this summer so no green tomato chutney this year. It's time to start putting the garden to bed but first I must fertilize the lawn and maybe put down some seed to cover the brown spots.

   Most of my winter activities are starting up this week so I have a busy few days ahead. We didn't get on the tennis court this morning because of the rain but we should get a few more games in before the nets come down next month. One year we kept playing into November!

End of a Season

    Notwithstanding that Thursday is the first day of Fall, I have my own way of noting the end of summer. It all happened this week.

        The beach towels were washed and put away until next year.

I had my last dip yesterday, the water was chilly but still refreshing after a long hike.

Today the winter cover went on so that's it until Victoria Day next year!

 

By My Bedside

    A new crop of books from the library - some recommended, some I have been awaiting for some time and a few that just serendipitously came to my attention.

   I have almost finished the Anne Perry book, her excellent plotting and machinations about to come to a satisfying conclusion. The Malcolm Gladwell book is for our next Book Club meeting and I'm afraid I am really struggling with it. The Louise Penny came from a friend and has also been left unfinished while others catch my fancy.

 I have been waiting for the Val McDermid book from the library for ages and can't wait to get cracking on it! The others, Amy and Lan and The Seven Sisters are unknown quantities but were recommended and sound like something I would enjoy. It is so great to have sources of good reads!

Sad and Happy

    Thinking back the other day to Queen Elizabeth's coronation. I was 9 years old and loved the pomp and ceremony. There will be much ceremony around her funeral but of a very different sort, remembering her long and faithful service to the country and Commonwealth.

   On a happier note - it has stayed very warm here and I have been swimming the last two days. I usually don't get in the pool much come September. Maybe this year will be the exception. The closing is booked for September 20 so I still have several more opportunities to get in.

Labour Day

    A holiday here, traditionally the last day before school starts up again after the summer off. This year the teachers are back tomorrow but the kids will have to wait until Wednesday to see their friends and meet their teachers.

    It is also traditionally when my tennis club hosts a round robin and BBQ but it didn't happen the last two years due to lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings. It wasn't a great day weather wise but the rain held off and the temperature was pleasant. There was a great turn out, over 50 people, for the first Labour Day celebration since 2019!

On Wednesday a friend and I will be celebrating NOT having to return to school as we are both retired from teaching. We will toast our still-working colleagues with something alcoholic over lunch at Red Lobster. Photos to follow!

Afternoon Tea

     A lovely time at the Old Curiosity Tea Room this afternoon with my two favourite ladies - Judy and Natalie! We ate until we had no more room and took the rest home. I had prepared by eating only a small breakfast and managed to avoid most of the treats at the tennis social this morning, so was quite hungry.

Situated on Main Street, Markham, it's a picturesque and popular spot.

We each chose a different tea and had our own pot. Mine was a herbal blend, very refreshing!

Trying to look very genteel!

The sandwich stand. There was something for every taste. My favourite was the cheese and Branston Pickle, Natalie's was the egg slice and Judy's was the cucumber and mint (instead of watercress).

And, of course, the dessert stand. Judy's favourite, Empire biscuits as well as shortbread cookies and scones with jam and clotted cream - clotted cream first, then the jam in case you're wondering.

    No dinner tonight although I may have a small snack before bed.

Beez Begone!

     Much as I hated to do it, the bees had to go. The team fixing my deck refused to complete the job until I had the bee problem "taken care of". I think I mentioned that one of them was stung while they were working on raising the slabs. 

   So, reluctantly, I called a bee expert to see what could be done. He surmised it was a small colony of bumble bees, not honey bees, which would have been a very different story.  Fortuitously, when he arrived no bees were in sight and he opined (optimistically) that they were all out foraging. So he doused the area with a powder which (he said) would discourage them from returning to the nest. We shall see! I didn't ask about any bees still under the deck. Less said the better. My grandson, the environmentalist, was very annoyed with me for not finding a more bee-friendly method of removing them.

      You can see he's not getting too close just in case.

   A final application to the problem area. I will check for any activity tomorrow and he promised to return to give it another dose if needed.

Yikes!

    I did a quick grocery run first thing this morning as I needed lunch fixings for expected company. Also a few items I didn't find on my usual trip to the store earlier this week. This is what I got and the bill.

   I did use some PC Points for a $10 reduction so basically the fish fillets were free, but still.......!

Kedgeree

    Does anyone else love Kedgeree? It is one of my comfort foods - easy to prepare, inexpensive (I have had three meals out of one fish fillet and half a cup of rice) and, if heaped with vegetables, pretty healthy! Mine included onions, green peas, tomatoes (every dish has to have a tomato component at the moment) and a small amount of grated cheese. And, of course, a generous sprinkling of curry powder for that exotic East Indian flavour. I had it with a slice of pickled beetroot and was well fed!

   What's your favourite comfort food?

   

Deck Looks Like New

    A major repair job but they were done by the afternoon. Just one small glitch which may require more further work (and more money!) but I am happy with how it looks now.

This was before:

Definitely tripping hazards! There were several spots like this.

Now it's smooth all around. 

Unfortunately this one still needs work. They will come back tomorrow.

And, in the process they upset a bee's nest so it is very "buzzy" out there! It was amazing to see how the repairs were accomplished - lots of heavy duty equipment. They also raised the slab abutting the house so that rain water will drain away from the basement. Now I just have to come up with the payment!

More Expensive Repairs

    I am just posting today because, if I don't, I have to reply anonymously to other posts!

   We had welcome rain most of yesterday but the grass is still very brown. At least I haven't had to cut it for a while. We played tennis for almost two hours this morning and, although it wasn't extremely hot as it has been for the last month, it was quite humid. I was on the winning side for both sets which was gratifying. 

   Tomorrow the Liftec crew are coming to do some work on my deck which, I believe, has been designated a "tripping hazard"! There will be before and after photos. Then another crew will come and do some caulking. It has been an expensive summer for pool repairs but worth it to maintain the value of my house, I guess!

Last of the Rhubarb

    I picked a few rather heat-depleted stalks of rhubarb yesterday and made some rhubarb chutney. It boiled and bubbled away for an hour or so, steaming up the kitchen and producing a rather pungent aroma from the cider vinegar, but finally it was ready and bottled. Almost two jars from what should have rightfully been consigned to the compost pile! I am rather chuffed as I do love chutney on a lot of things.

     Having said that, I still have some green tomato chutney from last fall so that should be consumed first since there are sure to be an abundance of green tomatoes to pick before the first frost.

   The rain has passed us by again except for 10 minutes of a light sprinkle, not enough to be of any help in the garden. Nothing in the forecast for the next few days either. It has finally been officially designated a "drought" in our area! 

Giant Sunflowers

     I didn't plant these intentionally, they just appeared by my composter in the Spring. The fence is six feet tall so you can work out how tall they have grown. Still three more to open but I thought I had better capture these three in case they were attacked by an animal (which has happened in the past).

The Latest Crop

 This week's pickings of tomatoes - every meal must contain tomatoes or I will be leaving them to rot on the vine. The cherry tomatoes mostly get eaten at lunch and a plum tomato got slipped into tonight's stew. All my  friends have a similar glut and next it will be the zucchinis!

    Still no rain although there were a few spots this afternoon as I was walking home from the Seniors Centre and thunder rumbling around somewhere close by. The grass is mostly brown now and probably won't recover before Fall. One neighbour has a perfectly green lawn and it looks so strange surrounded by swaths of brown! I guess they have an irrigation system. The one thing that is doing well are the (unintentional) sunflowers growing around my composter, they are well over 6 feet tall! I will try for a photo once the flowers have all opened.

Working at the Tennis Tournament

    Recuperating today after a very busy week. We had some really hot days which were extremely exhausting. Most of my shifts were early afternoon to evening so I was really dragging by the time I walked back to the distant parking lot at the end of the day! But I was glad to have the mornings to gather myself and prepare for the day ahead. We had a great party last night which made for a lovely send off and will encourage us to return to volunteer again next year. There were 1200 volunteers at this year's tournament.

This is me at the main gate in my uniform.

The men were playing in Montreal and we could watch it on the big screen TV.

I got assigned the VIP entrance a couple of times - it was much quieter.

My preferred spot!

We didn't get much chance to watch the matches but you can see how full the stadium was for the Final.

It's hard to catch the players in action but this is the Brazilian player serving in the final set.

Most of the big names were here for both the Men's and Women's Singles. Simona Halep won here in Toronto and Pablo Carreno Busta won in Montreal. There were many, many Romanians (and others) cheering on Simona with flags, signs and chants (SI-MO-NA) and the atmosphere was quite electric! I got to watch the last half of the singles match and a doubles match that followed. Two Americans won that. Well, that's it for another year. The men will be playing here in 2023.

Another Catchup

    Two posts in a row - that's a first for me! But I am still having trouble signing in unless I start a new post. I have a few photos to share so that will be it.

Youngest grandson with his new bike that he paid for himself with his earnings as an extra in a movie!

The last of the raspberries - they have been great this year.

Oldest grandson on the front porch barbecuing pork souvlaki for our lunch on Sunday.

Enjoying the pool on a hot afternoon  - grandson swam 2 kms. by his calculation! It was 200 lengths.

A pretty flower from the plant that over winters indoors.

Another one - I didn't think I was going to get any flowers from it this year as it was looking rather bedraggled after being in low light conditions indoors.

   So that's me up-to-date. I will probably be AFK for a few days during the tennis tournament. (away from keyboard)